Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Carnival of Homeschooling the Gemstone Edition

Welcome to the Gemstone Edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling. Below you will find not only the wonderful submissions for this carnival but gemstones commonly used for birthstones and the history behind them.

Red Garnets Firstly as it is the color of menstrual blood, it is a stone of
fertility. As a gift it is a symbol of happiness and
loyalty. It is thought to be a antidote to plague and fever. Women were
known to wear it around their waist to help with the menstrual cycle.
If it is obtained unlawfully it will bear a curse upon its wearer until it
is returned to its lawful owner. Persephone is the Goddess associated with Garnets.

Amethyst and magic have been connected for at least 2,000 years. The Greeks believed it to be an amulet against inebriation. It is one of the few stones specifically recommended for men to use for attracting women. Amethyst is the birthstone for February:

"The February-born shall find
Sincerity, and peace of mind, Freedom from passion and from care, If they the Amethyst will wear."

Amethyst can be used to increase psychic awareness, to sharpen the
'sixth sense'. Because of this, many people keep a crystal with their
I-Ching, tarot, or Rune tools. It is considered a very spiritual stone.

Sue @ A Life Full of Days gives examples of how she used the community wherever they lived in her post Out and About.

The Birthstone for March is Aquamarine.

Aquamarine is a traditional protective and lucky stone for fishermen. In
addition, it has been carved into cups and goblets because of the
belief that it aids digestion and reduces body fluids. Aquamarine is associated with Mermaids (Sea Goddesses).

The legendary curse of the Hope Diamond is said to begin with a theft. Several centuries ago, a man
named Tavernier made a trip to India. While there, he stole a large blue
diamond from the forehead (or eye) of a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita. For this transgression, according to the legend, Tavernier was
torn apart by wild dogs on a trip to Russia (after he had sold the
diamond to King Louis XIV). This was the first horrible death attributed to the curse.

In 1673, King Louis XIV decided to re-cut the diamond to enhance its
brilliance (the previous cut had been to enhance size and not
brilliance). The newly cut gem was 67 1/8 carats. Louis XIV officially
named it the "Blue Diamond of the Crown" and would often wear the
diamond on a long ribbon around his neck. The Hope Diamond was eventually inherited by Louis XVI, according to the legend, Marie Antoinette and
Louis XVI were beheaded during the French Revolution because of the blue
diamond's curse.

During the French Revolution, the crown jewels (including the blue
diamond) were taken from the royal couple after they attempted to flee
France in 1791. The jewels were placed in the Garde-Meuble but were not
well guarded. From September 12 to September 16, 1791, the Garde-Meuble was repeatedly
robbed, without notice from officials until September 17. Though most
of the crown jewels were soon recovered, the blue diamond was not.

There is some evidence that the blue diamond resurfaced in London by 1813 and was owned by a jeweler Daniel Eliason by 1823. No one is sure that the blue diamond in London was the same one stolen
from the Garde-Meuble because the one in London was of a different cut.
Yet, most people feel the rarity and perfectness of the French blue
diamond and the blue diamond that appeared in London makes it likely
that someone re-cut the French blue diamond in the hopes of hiding its
origin. The blue diamond that surfaced in London was estimated at 44
carats.

There is some evidence that shows King George IV of England bought the
blue diamond from Daniel Eliason and upon King George's death, the
diamond was sold to pay off debts. By 1939, possibly earlier, the blue diamond was in the possession of
Henry Philip Hope, from whom the Hope diamond has taken its name.

The Hope family is said to have been tainted with the diamond's curse.
According to the legend, the once-rich Hopes went bankrupt because of
the Hope diamond.

Simon Frankel, an American jeweler, bought the Hope diamond in 1901 and brought the diamond to the United States. The diamond changed hands several times during the next several years, ending with Pierre Cartier. Pierre Cartier believed he had found a buyer in the rich Evalyn Walsh
McLean. Evalyn first saw the Hope diamond in 1910 while visiting Paris
with her husband. Since Mrs. McLean had previously told Pierre Cartier
that objects usually considered bad luck turned into good luck for her,
Cartier made sure to emphasize the Hope diamond's negative history. Yet,
since Mrs. McLean did not like the diamond in its current mounting, she
didn't buy it.
A few months later, Pierre Cartier arrived in the U.S. and asked Mrs.
McLean to keep the Hope diamond for the weekend. Having reset the Hope
diamond into a new mounting, Carter hoped she would grow attached to it
over the weekend. He was right and Evalyn McLean bought the Hope
diamond.

Evalyn McLean wore the diamond all the time. According to one story, it
took a lot of persuading by Mrs. McLean's doctor to get heto take off
the necklace even for a goiter operation. Though Evalyn McLean wore the Hope diamond as a good luck charm, others
saw the curse strike her too. McLean's first born son, Vinson, died in a
car crash when he was only nine. McLean suffered another major loss
when her daughter committed suicide at age 25. In addition to all this,
Evalyn McLean's husband was declared insane and confined to a mental
institution until his death in 1941.
Though Evalyn McLean had wanted her jewelry to go to her grandchildren
when they were older, her jewelry was put on sale in 1949, two years
after her death, in order to settle debts from her estate.

When the Hope diamond went on sale in 1949, it was bought by Harry
Winston, a New York jeweler. Winston donated the Hope
diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958 to be the focal point of a
newly established gem collection.

Diamonds are said to Bring fierceness, strength and fortitude. Strengthens friendships and
protects from evil, disease and plagues. If set in gold it drives away
night monsters... When stolen attracts negative vibrations. Diamonds
require cleaning often.

"Who first beholds the light of day,
In spring's sweet flowery month of May,
And wears an Emerald all her life,
Shall be a loved, and happy wife."

"If you wish to bring a love into your life, buy an
emerald and charge it with your magical need through your visualization,
perhaps while placing it near a green candle. After this ritual, wear
or carry the emerald somewhere near your heart. Do this in such a way
that it cannot be seen by others, so when you meet a future love, you'll
know it wasn't the visible jewel that attracted him or her." The
Greeks associated this stone with the Goddess Venus. It has come to
represent, for many people, the security of love. Emerald, like almost
all of the green stones, is also advantageous for business/money
ventures.

MrsMamaHen.com submitted Mid-Year Refreshing,
nice to know that I am not the only homeschool Mom who preferred my own
customized sheets to to the slick pre-made planners being marketed to
homeschoolers.

Peridot is the birthstone for August.

Completely aligns all the
subtle bodies. This helps one receive information from the
higher self more easily. Good stone for channeling.
Visionary stone - it helps connect us to our destinies and
to an understanding of the purpose of existence. Keeps the
mind free from envious thoughts and jealousies. A good
stone for people who cannot relate to realities beyond the
physical world. Aids in manifesting physical work into
material abundance. A healing stone working with the heart
and solar plexus chakras.

Sapphire has been associated with divine
favor. The Buddhists believed that the sapphire favored
devotion and spiritual enlightenment. It is the birthstone
for the month of September:
"A maiden born when autumn leaves
Are rustling in September's breeze.
A Sapphire on her brow should bind;
'Twill cure diseases of the mind. (5)

The ancient Greeks linked sapphire with
Apollo, and wore it as an aid to prophecy when consulting
oracles. For this reason, it is considered an aid for
developing the "third eye". It was also considered to be able
to guard its owner from being captured. It is worn and
utilized in rituals to strengthen the ability to tap and send
forth power.

"October's child is born for woe,
And life's vicissitudes must know;
But lay an Opal on her breast,
And hope will lull those foes to rest."

Opals have traditionally been considered "lucky" stones...but only for
those born in the month of October. It has been considered bad luck to
wear them if you were born in any other month.

Opals are considered to be able to confer the gift of
invisibility on its wearer. To accomplish this, Cunningham says "The gem
was wrapped in a fresh bay leaf and carried for this purpose." He also
says, "Opals are also worn to bring out inner beauty.

A beauty spell:
Place a round mirror on the altar or behind it so that you can see your
face within it while kneeling. Place two green candles on either side
of the mirror. Light the candles. Empower an opal with your need for
beauty -- while holding the stone, gaze into your reflection. With the
scalpel of your visualization, mold and form your face (and your body)
to the form you
desire. Then, carry or wear the opal and dedicate yourself to improving
your appearance."

TOPAZ: If you want to conquer your fears, wear a topaz. A stone of trust, strength, and protection. It relieves depression, anger, fear, tension headaches, and insomnia. Bestows inner vision and helps light up the correct direction to pursue. Increases personal abilities. Stimulates the intellect for writers, scientists, and artists. It aids abstract thinking and creativity. Topaz is also believed to prevent colds and tuberculosis as it strengthens the breath.

Turquoise
history dates back over 6000 years. Archeological and literary
references to the gemstone predate the Christian era by five millennia.
It has been unearthed in tombs from ancient Egypt...specifically
the 4 bracelets of Queen Zar, found on her mummified arm. These
date back to the second ruler of Egypt's First Dynasty, approximately
5500 BC!

Aristotle
and Pliny both refer to turquoise. Marco Polo even wrote about
it. Turquoise has always been considered a stone of life. It also
has a long standing history of more than 1000 years with Native
Americans who have used it extensively for protection and healing.
The stone was also used in religion, art, trade, treaty negotiations
and, of course, treasured jewelry.

LEGEND and LORE: This stone has long been used for protection
against traumatic injuries. It was thought that the stone
would shatter, thus warning the wearer of imminent physical
danger. It was also used to decorate the bridles of horses,
to protect them against broken bones from falls. Among the
Native Americans of the Southwestern United States, Turquoise
is believed to be a connector of Earth and Sky. It is one of
the four "elemental" gemstones of the Pueblos; (the others
are coral, jet and abalone shell). This is considered to be
one of the Birthstones for December:

"If cold December gives you birth,
The month of snow, and ice, and mirth,
Place on your hand a Turquoise blue;
Success will bless whate're you do.

Turquoise is thought to increase Wisdom.
"An old ritual utilized Turquoise to gain wealth. Perform
this rite a few days after the New Moon when the crescent is
first visible in the sky. Avoid looking at the Moon until the
proper time. Hold a Turquoise in your hand. Visualize your
magical need -- money -- manifesting in your life. Move
outside and look at the Moon. Then directly shift your gaze
to the Turquoise. The magic has begun. Carry the stone with
you until the money arrives."

Iran

For at least 2,000 years, the region once known as Persia
has remained an important source of turquoise which was named by
Iranians initially "pirouzeh" meaning "victory" and later after Arab
invasion "firouzeh".In Iranian architecture, the blue turquoise was used to cover the domes
of the Iranian palaces because its intense blue color was also a
symbol of heaven on earth.

Blog Carnvial is partially broken. It is accepting submissions, but not
forwarding them. It would be easier if you just submitted your post
directly via email. Go here for the instructions on sending in a submission.

As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.

My thanks to all of you who submitted a post and thank you for taking the time to read the Gemstone Edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling. ~Alasandra

Welcome Goddesses of Spring

Hail, and welcome! Green life returns to the earth blooming and blossoming once more from the soil. We welcome you,goddesses of spring, Eostre, Persephone, Flora, Cybele, in the trees, in the soil, in the flowers, in the rains, and we are grateful for your presence.

Prayer to the Winter Goddess

O! Mighty goddess, in silvery ice,watching over us as we sleep,a layer of shining white,covering the earth each night,frost on the world and in the soul,we thank you for visiting us.Because of you, we seek warmthin the comfort of our homes and hearths.

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About Alasandra

Former Homeschool MomEldest son has a Masters in Computer ScienceYoungest son has a B.A. Degree in History with a minor in Political Science